Ways to navigate political conversations with coworkers

3 ways to navigate political conversations with coworkers

November 3, 2022 1:44 PM

There are some conversations that should be off limits at work — is politics one of them?

Nearly 60% of employees feel that talking about politics at work is unacceptable, according to a survey by Glassdoor. Yet workplace conflicts are becoming increasingly unavoidable: according to the Society for Human Resource Management, 45% of employees have experienced political disagreements in the workplace, and 26% experienced differential treatment because of their political views.

Employers may find themselves in a tough spot if they need to mediate these often nuanced issues, says Adam Weber, senior vice president of community at 15Five, a performance management company. But they'll be more successful if they create a culture where people feel respected, recognized and heard.

"Everyone has a story outside of work," Weber says. "We want to be respectful of all people. We want to recognize that everyone is different. Be thoughtful about who we share with and when we share things with."

Leaders and employees should ask themselves if what they're sharing is appropriate in the context of the group, and remind themselves that digital communications can often be misinterpreted.

"Consider if this topic is appropriate for the work forum or if there might be a better forum for that communication," Weber says. "Every situation is different. There's no two people that have the exact same opinions or perspectives, so we have to do our best to be gentle with each other."

Weber shares a few considerations employers and employees should keep in mind in order to avoid conflicts in the workplace.

Make work interactions intentional

Weber says the shift to remote work has removed opportunities for people to get to know each other and establish relationships. Without those connections, employees don't feel a sense of trust toward their coworkers and could misconstrue intentions around political comments or beliefs.

"People may share on the wrong forum a topic that's nuanced, and if it's not done in the context of a relationship, it's more open for misinterpretation," he says. "Pre-COVID, before a meeting started, there was this five minute period of small talk and you got to know people and hear their stories. In a digital world, you just hop on a Zoom right at the start. Without intentionality, you do lose some of those relationships."

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Weber advises employers to start meetings with a check-in around how people are feeling and invite them to share things about their lives, like their weekend plans or what's going on with their families.

Don’t ignore the emotional impact

While it's tempting to avoid conflict by ignoring current events and political discussions entirely, that can backfire, too, Weber says. Employers need to find the right balance.

"It can be a little naive for leadership to not talk about what is happening in the world, but there is a balance between coming across as aloof without diving into sides," Weber says. "I remember recording a video for our team and just saying things like, 'I encourage you to feel what you're feeling and remember that being part of a diverse and caring community means that we all have different backgrounds and experiences.'"

Addressing the mental health impact these issues can have is critical to creating a psychologically safe environment for all employees, Weber says.

"We're asking our employees to show up and bring their full self to work, but if that full self is toxic to the psychological safety of an entire company, that's not actually a value to the company," he says. "Make sure that you create an environment where people feel safe."

Put your values into practice

Weber advises organizations to focus on the good — what values bring them together as a team, and how can they cultivate relationships with each other? Finding that alignment can build respect and loyalty that goes beyond party lines.

"Focus on where there is alignment, whether that's through charity work or events that bring people together and help build that foundation of trust," he says. "Make sure that you create an environment where people feel like they can have genuine relationships and see their coworkers as whole people."